Hamas Wins

How’s that for democracy? Hamas has won the Palestinian election by a handy majority and George Bush doesn’t quite know how to react. His tepid response is reported in the New York Times here: Bush Wants Abbas to Remain Palestinian Leader

The problem that Bush has in the Middle East is that the more he presses for democracy the more the locals voice an anti-U.S. stance. In several places now — Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, and now Palestine — radical Islamists have won strong support. Now the local conditions may differ, but the emerging theme is that the U.S. policy of blind support for Israel, support for corrupt dictatorships, and semi-colonial invasion of Iraq hasn’t gone over too well with the general population. When they are able to speak at the ballot box they appear to be radically opposed to everything the U.S. has tried to do.

Maybe that’s the benefit from a Hamas victory: it pours cold water on the idea that peace with Israel is at the top of the Palestinian agenda. They seem to want jobs, better living conditions, and an end to corruption. What a shock! The combination of Israeli occupation and Fatah ineptitude opened the door for Hamas by undermining the Palestinian economy, and in true democratic style they grabbed the opportunity by running an anti-occupation campaign. They scarcely mentioned Israel which remains all a-twitter, and hardly safer behind its wall.

Now what? Sober up everyone and look in the mirror. Before we all go lecturing Hamas about what to do, perhaps U.S. and Israeli policies need to be re-thought. After all, they helped bring Hamas to power.